A Lonley Road
by konzill
Summary: A sad ending to Whispers of the Heart, in which Saiji and Shizuku are parted forever,


Notes:

This is a sad alternate ending to Whispers of the heart. Do I want the story to end this way, no not really, however the idea got stuck in my head, and so I felt a need to write it down. Once written, it should be shared. I cannot make this a happy ending however I hope that I can make it a good piece of writing, and something moving.Our story begins after the end, where whispers of the Heart finished Saiji and Shizuku, have made their promise to each other.

Story:

The man walked down stairs, and took a bike from the rack beside the entry way.As he walked down to the road another bike came round the corner and stopped.The bike had two riders a boy, who was peddling, and a girl, who sat side saddle on a cargo rack behind him. She jumped off. As she did so she slipped a jacket of her shoulders and handed it to him.

"thanks for the ride Saiji," she said, their hands touched as she handed it to him, and lingered.

"Um, would you mind if we had lunch together," he asked not meeting her eye, "I know last time your classmates made a big deal out of it"

"I don"t care what they think, " she said blushing ,"besides we are sort of together."

"I look forward to it Shizuku Tsukishima," he said putting on the jacket. The pair still had not noticed the man, who was watching them patiently. Saiji pushed off on his Bicycle. She watched him ride to the corner.

"Shizuku." said the man quietly.

"Dad, i can explain." she said turning round to her father.

So Shizuku has a boyfriend, he thought to himself, well it was bound to happen eventually, he seems like a well manured boy. "Your mother and I haven"t been introduced to your ... friend ..." He began, but was interrupted by squeal of rubber sliding on concrete. He watched the blood drain from his daughter"s face, Before he could say another word she was running, he dropped the bicycle and followed as she disappeared aground the corner.

"Saiji",she screamed, he could barley recognise his daughters voice.The first thing he saw as he turned the corner was the truck, no different then hundreds of other delivery trucks which used the narrow roads every day. The driver, was still sitting in the cabin with a blank look on his face. He met the mans eyes. Just as she had known, he knew what he would see if he looked down, and he did not want to, but he had to. Slowly his eyes slid down, there was the bicycle, and the boy. Shizuku was kneeling beside him, clutching at his hand. She was whispering now, looking down at the boy. He was still awake and struggling to answer.

"Shizuku, he said. "I"m cold, I don"t think ..."

"shh, don"t speak now, you"ll be alright, you have to be alright." he tried to laugh, but it came out as more of a gurgle and then a cough. The caught left speckles of blood on the girls cloths, she seemed not to notice.

"And I never got to kiss you " he whispered. she bent forward without hesitation, and touched his lips to hers. The man watched, in horror, his hands shacking, he could see the pool of blood that Shizuku was kneeling in, the boy's blood and it was still spreading slowly.

"I won"t let you die", he hear her whisper. " where getting married, remember.  
the boy did not answer. She shook him

"Saiji," she called, "his not breathing she bend down again pulling his head back, and forced air into his lungs, once twice, three times. she placed her finger on his neck.

"no pulse.: she moved over the boy and pressed down, compressing his chest, one, two, three, and back for another breath by now a crowd had gathered and he could hear sirens somewhere in the distance.

"Shizuku!" this time it was someone else running and calling, he graped his wife as she tried to get past him. "there"s nothing we can do." he said softly. "It"s to late,"

"but Shizuku ... " she began to protest.

"is trying to save the boy she loves, very much I think." he said, his voice breaking, " all we can do is wait until its over." He tuned around and watched the girl, who was oblivious to all that was around her. he saw the muscles in her shoulders shaking with the effort but her face was set and she continued, one two three and a breath.

Time passed, the ambulance had arrived and still she had not stopped for a moment, one two three and a breath. Paramedics pushed thought the crowd one of the men pulled her away and took over the compressions, the other checked the boys eyes. he turned around to face the girl.

"did you know him," he asked

"His name is Saiji Amasawa" she said, closing her eyes.

"I"m sorry, there"s nothing more we can do, said the man not meeting her eye.

"I understand," she whispered, kneeling back down ignoring the paramedic she stroked the boys hair.

"goodbye Saiji, she said, kissing the boy, one last time. The man watched her stand slowly and walk towards them. He had never seen anyone so pale, so drained. She stumbles and he jumped forward, catching her He picked her up as she shuddered, not letting herself cry and shaking with the effort.

"lets go home," he whispered to his duaghter.

"Sir?" it was one of the paramedics

"No I don"t know the boys parents," he said.

"his name is Saiji Amasawa, I only know where his grandfather lives, but not his parents," said Shizuku, "He goes to the local Junior High"

The last was uttered as a challenge, daring anyone to correct her and say he went.

"Will there be anything else," he asked,

"the Police may want to ask questions." said the paramedic

"You go, Yasunari, I"ll wait here." said his wife, he nodded and continues walking, carrying his daughter. Only then in the privacy of their unit Shizuku allowed herself to cry. The man held his daughter and she cried, and cried. He though that she could not have any tears left and yet she cried.

"dad," she whispered between sobs," I wish I had had a chance to introduce Saiji, to you."

"I know you do, I wish I had had the chance to meet him."

"I woke up this morning, and looked out the window, and he was there, hoping I would see him.", she paused to wipe her tears,

"came back a day early to surprise me ...", she smiled a little remembering

"This project you have been working on, it was something to do with Saiji, wasn't it."

Shizuku nodded. "He was in Italy seeing if he had what it takes to be a master violin maker, his parents gave him two months. So I decided that I would test myself as well. See if I could be a writer"

The girl turned her tear streaked face to her father. "He was my inspiration and ... I don"t know what I will do without him."

"I know it sounds corny, but he asked me if I would marry him one day and I said yes. That was just an ... dad what time is it, I'll be late for school, no I don't, do you think I can stay home today." she asked,

"I think that might be best Shizuku," he answered looking at his daughter and considering her words.

"You have lost your first love, I cannot image what that must be like." he said.

"I thought, I had finally figured out what I wanted to do with my life.I was going to be a writer." she said "and Saiji, was going to be a master violin maker. we where going to inspire each other to do great things".

The man was silent for a while. "Shizuku, I think you should try writing down what you feel right now. That is what a writer does and it might help".

She nodded wiping away a tear, "do you mind if I start now?" she asked

"not at all",

He watched her sitting at her desk, the pencil shaking in her hand. Slowly but surly words flowed onto the page before her, and the pencil became steady.Later he was joined by his wife and they talked in whispers, while the girl continued to write. As to what she wrote, that must remain private for she did not show her father, or anybody else. She remained at her desk for the rest of the day. Late that evening he found her there asleep on her note pad. He lifted her gently intended to put her on the futon, she half woke and whispered.

"Dad, I think I"m done writing about him, for now.

"I hope it helped," he answered, the girl fell back into a deep sleep.

Yasunari watched his daughter form a distance, surrounded by her friends, they where at a memorial service for Saiji. The other girls set around Shizuku and intercepted anyone who who tried to pass through, some where allowed and others turned back. They are trying to shield her, he thought.

The memorial progressed as most do, there where solemn speeches, solemn music and attempts to find meaning in a tragic waste of a young life. Then as everyone was about to leave, Yuuko, took the microphone.

"ladies and gentlemen, could you please remain seated for just a little longer." she paused looking across to Shizuku, who gave a slight nod.

"Shizuku Tsuimashian, asks that you allow her to share a song with you. He watched his Daughter stand and walk slowly to the stage.she took the microphone with shaking hands. The Junior high band began to play,there where whispers as people recognised the opening bars to Country Road. Then she began to sing, looking directly at a photograph of Saiji, she sang, with a clear and steady voice. These where not the original lyrics but her own version. He closed his eyes and listened. there was so much emotion in that voice that it made his heart break again for his daughter. On the surface the song was about independence and stepping out, but it was also about loneliness and pain and the struggle to go on when you knew that you would never be complete. Despite her family and friends Shizuku felt alone, not by choice but by fate or back luck, call it what you will. When the song finished, there was silence. Slowly people began to get up and move to the exit. He noted that more than one had tears in their eyes. Shizuku stood on the stage, looking down. When the silent tide of people had passed he got up and walked over to his daughter.

"Shizuku, that was a beautiful song"He meet his daughter"s Eyes, the sadness was still there. He suspected that it would always be there, but there was strength as well.

"You don"t think the lyrics where too corny?"


End file.
